‘There you go! Now there’s a big silly smile all over my face!’
As if declaring his impartiality from the start, Andy is unapologetic in his fondness for BMWs. ‘I owned pretty much every model iteration of the E92 3-series, from the frustrating 330d through a couple of 335s – the best engine – to the ultimately disappointing M3,’ he tells me. But after an Audi RS5 and an X5, Andy made the jump to EVs with his Model S 85D – a new Performance Model S with Ludicrous Acceleration turns up shortly. Can the M850i impress?
‘Straight away it does feel heavy,’ says Andy. ‘The Tesla’s heavier, but to an extent the electric motors mask some of that. This kicks really hard too but it’s different – it feels different. You don’t get any build-up in a Tesla – just the hit of acceleration. This feels… old school. It’s back to raucous power. I always thought that what I loved about a fast car was the noise and the speed, but when you drive a Tesla you realise that the exhilaration comes from the speed alone – you don’t need the noise; it’s just theatre.’
Andy’s confidence in the car builds quickly as he re-adjusts to using actual brakes (rather than relying on regenerative charging to slow the car) and a car that goes through bends like, well, like a BMW. ‘For something this big and heavy it does feel impressively agile through corners, with tight body control and lots of grip,’ he says.
‘It’s refined, too; quiet, and a nice place to be, particularly when you compare the interior to a Tesla.’
Out of a junction, Andy gives the V8 some stick. He’s just been telling me how indulgent engines like this are, and then… ‘There you go! Now there’s a big silly smile on my face! But seriously, I think I’m over engines. The cost of ownership is huge and a 4.4-litre V8 is just gratuitous. But if BMW accelerated its electrification and came out with this powered by a 100kWh battery, that would be a game-changer.’